This summer marks 40 years since the Telegraph's cricket correspondent Scyld Berry started covering the sport.
www.telegraph.co.uk
Only time the rag has made sense.
Since 1970 [approx], I have Viv and Immy 1 and 2. Lara, Warne, Sachin, Akram, Lillee, Beefy, Hadlee, Gilly, Ponting etc on my particular list.
Gilly is the only one I can see shoehorning his way into the medals.
So many comments
Love how they compared Kallis to Hammond, because that's the most apt comparison. Brilliant batsman and slip fielder who caught everything, and very good part time bowler when needed. Especially telling was "he wore down bowlers he should have dominated" and batted at gear too low for the needs of his team.
Botham was way too high, but that's just my opinion. He wasn't an all time great batsman nor bowler and was **** vs the best team he faced.
Marshall was practically lauded as the best pacer ever, like how they also mentioned his lack of application as a batsman. Anyone who watched him know he had the talent to do better, the situation just hardly required it. But he highlighted how Marshall could do anything with the ball, and was as dangerous and fast as anyone who ever picked up the cherry, no way he could or should be behind....
Warne was way to high and like (but a bit more than) Viv ahead of him, too many of the accolades had nothing to do with results on the field. As I've said what India and Lara did to him excludes him from the top 5 for me and the disregard towards Murali by extension was ridiculous.
Imran, I'm not touching this one, but he kinda called him a ball tamperer, which was odd in such an article.
Viv wasn't the best nor most important player in his team, but he was the leader. He also set the tone and took away games from the opposition. Something more lauded batsman struggled to do, be it in a session, match or series. He was also feared, which did impact the game, but he isn't the best.
One thing I like about the list, is something that CW gets away from. He highlighted winning, we highlight stats way too much over winning.
Brady can't touch Peyton's or probably even Marino's stats, but he won, that's why he's the GOAT. In that regard, that's why Marshall and McGrath makes my top 5 of all time regardless.